Chapter 8.3- Capturing sunlight into chemical forms Flashcards
What is a major energy entry point for light energy in photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll
What is visible light?
The portion of electromagnetic spectrum we can see with our eyes and the waves included in photosynthesis.
Around 400 nm to 700 nm
What are pigments? How do they work? What do they do?
- They absorb wavelengths of visible light
- They reflect the color of light of pigments they do not absorb
What are the structural components of chlorophyll and how does it aid photosynthesis?
- Light absorbing head with double donds and single bonds alternating
- Hydrocarbon side chain
What are photosystems? What are they made of?
- pigment protein complexes that contain the section of light absorption and that drives ETC
They contain:
- chlorophyll
- Accessory pigments
Why are accessory pigments helpful?
- they help absorb light that chloropyll poorly absorbs
Compare the absorption of light in chlorophyll that is isolated vs antenna chlorophyll
Isolated Chlorophyll: results in heat released when electron is in excited state and fluorense in ground state
Antenna Chlorophyll: results in just the transfer of energy/electron in neighboring chlorophyll
What is the reaction center and what does it do with electrons?
The reaction center is where antenna chlorophyll transfers final electrons go. They turn the electrons into chemical energy. The formation of NADPH
Do chlorophyll molecules operate on their own or in groups? ( explain through experiment)
Measurement 1: They measured the amount of oxygen was in the chlorella cell
Measurement 2: They measured the chlorella after exciting the electrons
Conclusion: There was a higher ratio of chlorophyll than oxygen. Meaning there is more than one chlorophyll needed to produce electrons
What challenges do photosystems face by using water as an electron donor? How do they overcome it?
- Hard to pull electroms from water
- They divide into to photosystems. The first system electrons is pulled from water. The second system electrons are transferred from NAD+ to NADH
Explain the Z scheme?
Energy decreases when electrons move between the two photosystems
Energy increases when electrons pass through the photosystem
What is ferredoxin- NAP+?
it is a protein that helps cataylze NAPH formation by transferring two electrons of ferredoxin to NADP+
How does chloroplast accumulate in the lumen?
- The oxidization of water released protons into the lumen
- cytochrome–b f complex and plastoquinone together act as a proton
pump that functions much like proton pumping i
Where is ATP produced in chloroplast?
movement of protons from the thylakoid lumen to the stroma
Why is the Cyclic electron transport chain needed?
The Calvin cycle needs three ATP molecules but it doesnt produced enough ATP.
- electrons from photosystem I are
redirected from ferredoxin back into the electron transport chain - more proteins are transported from the stroma to the lumen